


Saltwater Sweetness

by hibiren



Series: Jay's FFXV Fic Favorites Collection 2018+ [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Acceptance, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Attempted Kidnapping, Awkwardness, Bathtubs, Bubble Bath, Caves, Choking, Comfort, Conversations, Cute, Disguise, Emotional Roller Coaster, Fainting, Fantasy, Fights, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fishing, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gift Giving, Gladnis, Happy, Ink, M/M, Magic, Mer-Gladio, Mer-Ignis, Mer-Iris, Mer-Prompto, MerMay, Minor Injuries, Nudity, Oaths & Vows, Octo-Mer-Ardyn, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poisoning, Promptis - Freeform, Protection, Protection Magic, Recovery, Rescue, Self-Indulgent, Sharing Clothes, Silly, Surprise Kissing, Sweet, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tags May Change, Underwater, gladnis undertones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2020-05-01 19:08:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19183891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren
Summary: Noctis is out at sea fishing on his boat when his lure brings in a catch bigger than he can handle - one that gets tangled in both his line and his thoughts. Never in his life did he think he'd see a mercreature up close, but what would life be without a little fantasy?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I KNOW I'M REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEALLY LATE FOR MERMAY I APOLOGIZE BUT I FINALLY WROTE SOMETHING FOR IT AFTER SO LONG but one of my favorite things about Promptis is all the fluffy possibilities between these two.. help me.. I'm drowning in fluffy cuteness... ; u ; I really love this AU so much

The baited hook with its glittery lure disappeared into the water, swallowed up by the darkness as it sunk. A small weight guided it through the depths and Noctis hoped would sink far enough beneath the waves to bring him something good. Out on the boat he wasn’t necessarily fishing for food, but he found himself out there as the sun rose wanting to distract himself from all of the things that waited for him back at the docks, the shore - further inland, where most of his problems culminated past his ability to manage them.

Out in the water he felt at peace, lulled by the rocking waves.

The line drifted somewhat as it swept away in the slight current. Noctis kept his eye on it, adjusting as necessary to keep it within his sights. Maybe he should have added something heavier, to keep it from drifting off too far? There wasn’t much biting but for his second cast of the day he was feeling oddly hopeful.

A sudden forward jolt nearly cost Noctis his rod. He braced against the edge of the boat, grasping tightly to the reel and fighting with whatever it was at the end of his line as it struggled to free itself. Heart pounding, he could only imagine something _huge_ on the other end. Another record-breaker for the Legendary Noct-Gar?

Noctis’ catch came into view though slightly obscured by the water - it twisted and writhed so much that he was sure the line would snap, but with a swift yank upwards, his catch surfaced.

Scales and fins flailed and tossed in the choppy waters, and attached to that -

_Oh gods..._

\- a humanoid torso came into view. Somewhere within the mess of line, the figure was tangled in it. Noctis immediately set his rod down and leaned over the edge of the boat, looking over so he could try to grab onto something to get it to still.

“Hey - hey!! Stop fighting it, you’ll make it worse, hold on!” Noctis yelled toward the panicking creature, and it slowed as if mesmerized by Noctis’ words. “Easy, easy... I’ll get you untangled. One sec.”

He withdrew a knife from his back pocket, flipped it open, and did his best to cut away what he could reach, wincing at the sudden cold of the water as his hands struggled to find the thin, nearly invisible line.

When most of it was pulled free, the blonde hair floating beneath the water parted just slightly enough to reveal frightened eyes, and the tail end of Noctis' lure snagged against his mouth.

Did he… eat it?

_The hook, oh no._

Noctis’ hands cradled the mercreature’s cheeks and small bubbles escaped his nose as his eyes widened in fear.

“Don’t move, hey, calm down… Did you swallow my hook?”

The face beneath the water paled immediately, mouth opening just enough to let Noctis cut the lure free. He plucked it out of the water and set it aside, hopefully to keep something else from eating it. After that Noctis dipped his hands into the water again to gently urge the injured face closer so he could get a better look. Blond hair clung tightly to his wet skin as he surfaced, mouth opening slightly more to reveal the broken point of his hook stuck flat between his teeth and the inside of his cheek. A slight bubbling whimper left him, and Noctis felt incredibly guilty in that moment.

“I think it’s caught,” Noctis whispered, fingering lightly along the blond’s lipline. “Sorry… I just wanted to go fishing, I, um… didn’t mean to hurt you. Let’s get this out, okay?”

Noctis flinched internally, hoping that the saltwater at his fingertips wasn’t going to aggravate the scratched skin. _Ouch…_

With a little bit of patience, Noctis was able to work the hook loose and thankfully it looked like it had only snagged a bit - there was only a small pearl of blood that blossomed forth from the scratch, but he immediately closed his mouth to keep it from seeping into the water.

The mercreature rubbed at his cheek, glanced at Noctis for only a moment, and then disappeared into the dark seawater. Noctis shrugged, let out the breath he’d been holding, and sat back against one of the seats.

_What just happened?_

Another brief sense of guilt washed over Noctis as the boat rocked along with the tide, sending the lure skittering across the deck. Should he even think about fishing again, or should he just raise the anchor and go home? Maybe that would be better. He just couldn’t get the image of those frightened eyes out of his head…

Frantic splashing echoed along the side of the boat and when Noctis poked his head over to see what it was, he found the smiling face of his mer-catch looking up at him, waving happily, holding something enclosed in his other hand.

“You, uh, brought me something?”

The blond nodded enthusiastically in answer, and opened his palm to reveal a string of sea-glass and pearls, a single orange-speckled scallop shell as the centerpiece. He held it out for Noctis, gesturing to place the necklace in his hand.

When Noctis took it, the blond opened his mouth to say, “Prompto.”

“Hm?” Noctis blinked. “Is that what this is called?”

“No, Prom...pto.” Smiling awkwardly, he gestured to his scale-flecked chest and then repeated, “Prompto.”

“Oh, it’s your name, I gotcha.” Noctis smiled, looked down at the necklace in his hands, and then looked back to his new friend. “I’m Noctis. Thanks for this, um, necklace, by the way. It’s really nice looking. Can I put it somewhere safe so it doesn’t get broken?”

“Noctis,” said Prompto, speaking as if tasting the name on his tongue. It seemed he liked the taste of it. “Prompto and Noctis… stay?”

Thinking for a moment, mostly to glance at his phone to check the time, he agreed. Anything on land could wait, it’s not like every day he ran into something so spectacular. “Yeah, I can stay for a bit.”

Prompto raised himself up slightly and that was when he caught sight of Noctis’ tackle box, where the rest of his lures were. He reached out and pointed, voice bubbling as he said, “Shiny. Like fish.”

Noctis brought over a few of the lures and let Prompto have a look, silently thinking _gods, that’s adorable_ as his blue-and-orange tail flicked happily against the water, sending ripples against the waves.

“Want one?” Noctis asked, gesturing to the container with all the different brightly-colored lures. Some shaped like fish, some shaped like cactuar, some shaped like chocobo, and other miscellaneous fun and exciting figures. Prompto pointed at one, a yellow chocobo lure.

“Want?” Prompto repeated, smiling when Noctis picked it up from the tackle box and passed it over the edge of the boat to him.

“Sure, you can take it. I’ve got a few.”

“Ooh.”

Prompto made a “wait” gesture and disappeared under the waves again, coming back up with the chocobo lure hanging around his neck on a small piece of colorful string. He looked pleased with himself, and Noctis couldn’t help smiling again.

“Guess we have matching necklaces now, huh?”

Prompto nodded, sending droplets scattering across the water’s surface. His tail swished again and he sent a splash of water in Noctis’ direction. Noctis leaned over to come closer when Prompto raised himself out of the water as much as he could and wrapped his wet arms around Noctis’ shoulders, pulling him into a surprisingly human gesture - a small, delicate kiss.

“Love friend, Noctis.”

Noctis’ fingers flew to his own lips as Prompto disappeared back into the water in a flurry of orange-blue, fading into the sea. _Maybe that’s some kind of merpeople ‘thank you’?_ He traced where the strange mercreature’s lips had been and found himself blushing, smiling, staring into the water. It seemed his new friend was very grateful. Noctis, too, was grateful - not just to have a new friend, but to have discovered something amazing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis meets Prompto again, who shows him that his necklace is more than just a present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't expecting to make this more than one chapter but the responses to the first part were so overwhelmingly positive it made me want to explore the world of this fic a bit more! Thank you everyone for your sweet comments! I have a bit more planned if I can get around to it soon!

A day passed since Noctis’ encounter with Prompto. Yet their meeting still echoed through the prince’s mind and he caught himself dreaming of those scale-speckled hands and the way they wrapped around him so easily, almost in a nervous confidence while they kissed.

Should he call it that? A kiss? It was more like a “just barely touched lips” kiss, but a kiss is a kiss, right? Should it count? Given the way Noctis’ body hummed with happiness just recalling it, it should count whether or not he acknowledged it.

“Wonder if he still has that lure?” Noctis mused aloud as he looked out into the water from where he sat on the docks. The water rose and fell, waves breaking against the edge and dampening the edges of his pants. Today, he’d debated going swimming.

They still had a little more time on their “vacation,” so he thought it would be appropriate of him to go swimming (rather than fishing) at least once just so he can say he didn’t spend his entire vacation on the boat. A fear still lingered that he’d hook something else he shouldn’t if he did decide to go fishing - sometimes fate was funny that way. If it happened once, it had a chance of happening again. It wasn’t worth the risk.

The necklace gift from Prompto sat beside him on the edge of the dock, and Noctis kept glancing at it intermittently. For some reason he felt like he should treat it delicately. _It’d be terrible if it broke, it’s not like I can get it replaced…_

As the day went on, Noctis laid back against the dock, watching as clouds passed overhead. The quiet rush of the waves beneath, almost hypnotic, left him unaware and uncaring of the time as he just enjoyed the peaceful solitude.

_“...Noctis?”_

Outside of his dreamlike state, Noctis swore he heard a voice. Someone calling for him?

He sat up slowly, looked around, and frowned when he realized he was still alone. Maybe the air here was a bit too salty? Just as he was about to dismiss the idea, he saw something familiar - a blond head bobbing like a buoy out in the distant sea.

Unsure of what else to do, he waved out to Prompto, who immediately dove back beneath the waves and swam closer as fast as his fins could carve through the water. Before long he was at Noctis’ feet, grinning widely, the chocobo lure shimmering from its place hanging from his neck.

“I never thought I’d see you again, this is a nice surprise,” Noctis said warmly, resting his arm against his knee as he looked down at Prompto. “Stayed away from fishing boats?”

Prompto nodded and surprised Noctis by saying, “I haven’t seen any since you left! I got sad because I thought you weren’t going to come back out again… I know humans have to stay where it’s dry so I thought you might be by the shore.”

Eyes wide, Noctis stuttered, “You can… talk? Like, in full sentences, talk?”

Prompto nodded again.

“Oh!! Right before I left, you shared some of your language with me when we, um… your word for it is ‘kissed’ right?”

_Oh._

Noctis’ heart sunk like a weight, slowly, ever so slightly when Prompto let him know that their shared kiss had a more practical purpose. He wondered why he almost felt betrayed - he’d only known Prompto for a short time and yet, he felt as if something more were pulling them together. “I’m… uh… just glad you can talk. Glad to help, I guess?”

A strange silence fell and each occupied themselves briefly with a distraction - Noctis fiddling with the flap on one of his pants pockets while Prompto picked loose pieces of seaweed from his hair and dropped them back into the water.

"So… you came all the way out here hoping to see me?"

"Mhm! I… wanted to ask if maybe you'd like to spend a little more time together? I can show you all kinds of cool stuff if you want! Do you still have your necklace?"

The necklace beads clinked slightly as Noctis picked it up, but he nodded.

“Did you want to join me? For swimming, I mean,” Prompto asked, the scales at his cheeks matching his skin in turning a shade of coral-pink. “But put the necklace on first! Then you can join me.”

"Uh… okay?"

When Noctis put the necklace on, he felt an unexpected chill pass through his body. Perhaps there was more to the gift than he’d originally thought. Before Noctis could ask exactly what happened, Prompto grabbed his hand and dove beneath the waves.

Cold water assaulted Noctis and completely caught him off-guard as Prompto swam away from the shoreline. Attempting to pull his hand away was enough to make Prompto pause in his excited swimming, turning to look at Noctis in confusion.

Noctis flailed beneath the water somewhat, trying to make his way to the surface for air - but he realized for some reason, he felt like he didn’t need it. Maybe that was what the necklace was for.

“You can breathe! And talk, too! Don’t worry. I wouldn’t have brought you down here if I thought it would upset you… but… you can go back if you want?”

Completely disbelieving, Noctis shook his head. It was bizarre. He could see everything as clearly as if he were on land. This odd necklace must have made it so that breathing felt just like he were anywhere else and not several feet below the waves. Even the water felt lighter as he swished his hands through it, testing his newfound ability.

“This is… really weird. This isn’t gonna wear off on me any time soon, is it?”

“Nope!” Prompto grinned and reached out for Noctis’ hand again. “C’mon! I have so much to show you - ooh! I can even show you my cave, and all my cool stuff, this will be so much fun… I’ve never really had friends visit before!”

Even though the sea stretched out for miles on every side as they traveled farther away from the shore, Noctis felt assured that Prompto at least looked like he knew where he was going. After a while, and a bit of excited chattering from Prompto, they finally reached their destination: a small hollowed-out cave with a drapery-cover of sorts that looked like it was woven out of long strips of seagrass.

Prompto happily welcomed Noctis inside and pulled him toward the back of the cave. “You’ll like this! Watch.”

At the far end, a small light trickled in from above. Prompto directed Noctis toward it and when his head met cool air, he shivered. Above his head, the rock walls seemed to shine as if bioluminescent, a seaglass sheen against the cave’s dark wet brown-gray.

Thanks to this open area, a bit of light trickled into Prompto’s cave and left them both able to see.

“This is really awesome, how’d you find this place?”

“Well, it wasn’t me, exactly. Someone else did. But they let me use it.” Prompto shrugged, quick to change topics. “Oh! If you want to sit up there, I can bring you some of my stuff. Maybe… you can tell me what it is?”

“Sure, I’ll, uh… do my best,” Noctis offered, slowly hoisting himself up out of the water and onto the nearby rocks. The air and water seemed pleasantly warm, which worked wonders on his chilled skin and completely soaked clothes. The atmosphere of the cave hummed with a mysterious aura, but it wasn’t unpleasant at all.

Prompto surfaced after a while, hands full of miscellaneous trinkets that he set one by one next to Noctis. “See, this one is reeeeeeeeeally heavy. And this one keeps floating away from me and I don’t know how to get it to stop.”

After a brief explanation, Noctis noticed the way Prompto waited, smiling excitedly before moving onto describing the next object. Most of the stuff he had was junk, or trash (a candy wrapper? A bottlecap?) but the way he looked so excited to share it made Noctis not want to say too much about it. He didn’t want to ruin the fun.

“So, you’ve got a lot of stuff here,” Noctis began, swiping a hand through his dripping hair to keep water from his eyes. “You’ve got, uh… a piece of a geode? Looks like a paperweight. And that one right there,” he continued, gesturing to the next, “is a ‘rubber ducky.’ Someone must’ve lost it while playing in the sea. Here - check this out.”

A wet squeaking sound echoed through the cave, and Prompto ducked beneath the water.

When he poked his head up, just up to his eyes over the water’s edge, Noctis laughed.

“It’s just got a squeaker in it. I can take that out if you want. Sorry for scaring you, buddy.”

Prompto let out bubbles against the water, making a flustered face before lifting himself enough from the water to take the rubber duck from Noctis’ hands and give it a squeeze himself.

The second time it happened, Prompto managed a slightly less nervous-sounding chuckle. Noctis took the duck back and with another gesture of ‘watch this’ he let it float along the water’s surface, bobbing along any time Prompto moved.

He spent the next half hour or so describing all of Prompto’s treasures, and felt content with himself in making his merfriend happy. There was just one thing still on his mind.

“Hey… Prompto?”

“Hm?”

“When you kissed me, back on the boat… did you really do it just to be able to speak?”

“Isn’t that how everyone learns to speak a new language?” Prompto asked, blinking, seemingly oblivious to the hinting behind Noctis’ question.

“What I mean,” Noctis muttered, feeling warmth rising in his face, “is that with humans, when people kiss usually that means they like each other.”

“But I do like you!” Prompto said, fins flickering beneath the water. “I don’t understand.”

Leaning closer, Noctis asked, “How do you show another mer… uh… person? That you like them? Think about that, but for me as a human.”

“Ohh.” Prompto thought for a long moment, scratching the back of his head. “When we want to show we like each other, we rub our foreheads together. At least, that’s how we do it.” A distant look fell into Prompto’s suddenly weary gaze, but the moment passed quickly. “So! You… kiss, to show you like each other, even if it doesn’t help you talk?”

“That’s right. I, uh, don’t really know why, but it’s something all of us do.” Wasn’t this awkward? Talking about the way humans and merpeople flirted, so nonchalantly, with someone he’d only just met? “Maybe… I should get going, I don’t even know what time it is anymore…”

“Wait!” Prompto said suddenly, voice echoing through the cave. Noctis stopped, arms still bracing as he prepared to slip back into the water. Some feet behind them, the rubber duck bobbed against the sudden rush of small waves. “I… did have one more thing to show you.”

Noctis lowered himself back into the water but waited, one hand holding onto the rocks to keep him steady while his legs idly floated. “What is it?”

Slowly, Prompto reached for Noctis’ palm and held it, bringing him fully below the water again. The rocks above cast their blue-green glow, illuminating Prompto’s sparkling eyes. Noctis smiled, just a hint, and that was when Prompto rested his forehead gently against Noctis’ and waited only a second before pressing their lips together, something that felt like it held more meaning this time.

Noctis realized he’d closed his eyes while they kissed, his arms finding their way around Prompto’s slender waist, feeling the strange light-scaled texture that flecked his skin toward his hips. Prompto’s smooth tail flicked happily when Noctis opened his eyes again, but the moment was gone in an instant when Prompto’s face went white. Noctis turned and realized why - they weren’t alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on a third chapter right now but my life might be getting a bit hectic soon. I have an important event on Tuesday that might make me a lot busier soon but I hope I can still keep up with my daily and every-other-daily (lol) writes! Thank you for reading! If you'd like to chat with me or give me a follow, I'm much more active on twitter than I used to be! Find me there as "duskynebula" :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The unexpected visitor takes Prompto and Noctis (not so much by choice) deeper into the world of merfolk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world I've dreamed is slowly getting bigger and bigger, I hope you enjoy!

“What are you doing!?” the shout boomed from their unexpected guest. Furious eyes, gold and red, glared down at the two as he loomed closer, grabbing Prompto by the wrist. “Are you trying to get us killed?!” He shouted again. Noctis frowned when he realized he understood what was being said. Perhaps the kiss had worked both ways?

“No, Gladio, please, he's a friend, I promise…!”

“We don't speak to twolegs and you know this. And you've brought one into your _home?!_ Have you lost your mind? ...I'm taking you to Ignis. He'll know what to do with you. As for him - ” he angrily jabbed a finger in Noctis' direction, “we're sending him back where he came from after Ignis wipes his memory. No one can know.”

“No! You'll hurt him, you can't! I won't let you!”

“Hey, I didn't ask for this, I just wanted to be his friend. You let him go,” Noctis countered, doing his best to muster courage, “he was just trying to talk to me. That's all. And I was just about to leave.”

“And I find you two with your heads together. You call that ‘trying to talk?’ Humans are disgusting creatures. Prompto needs to learn this one way or another before - ”

“Ow, Gladio, you're… you're hurting me! Let go!”

Prompto struggled but to no avail, his captor's grip was undeniably strong. Gladio himself was incredibly frightening; easy to see why Prompto couldn’t free himself. Noctis swore he could see the water around Gladio bubbling and simmering from the heat of his frustration.

“Come with me or I will drag you both myself,” he growled, glaring between Prompto and Noctis.

“Maybe I can talk some sense into this Ignis that he mentioned,” Noctis muttered, putting a hand on his necklace and gripping the shell tightly. He was thankful the magic still stayed strong for him.

Prompto turned, hiding his own chocobo-lure necklace from view. He kept his head low, body limp as Gladio dragged him along, looking too heartbroken to fight. Noctis swam beside them, struggling to keep up with the sweeping strokes of Gladio's broad tail. Managing to swim slightly closer, he noticed scars of all shapes and sizes speckled and scattered across his tail. His fins were torn in multiple places, but looked as if they’d healed over. It was more than just his tail, however; his chest, back, and arms all were littered with teethmarks and scars. The two particularly large gashes carved across his face did little to make him seem any less dangerous. Whoever he was, he'd been through a lot.

Maybe Gladio was just being protective. Noctis understood that better than anyone. It was part of the reason he went on 'vacation' so much; returning home was impossible, with the way things were going. He practically lived at the hotel on the shoreline. Not that he minded much, because he could fish whenever he pleased. And now, he had a reason to stay outside of that, so things weren’t so bad.

The seafloor hollowed off into a large cave mouth and Gladio gestured irritably for Noctis to follow.

“Let’s go.”

Noctis’ heart pounded against his chest, nervousness overwhelming him as the mouth of the cave opened to reveal an intricately-carved hall, the same glowing rocks from before scattered throughout enough to shed a decent amount of light. At the end of the hall there was a large throne-like chair shaped from corals and shells. On the chair a short blond-haired merman rested, hands folded neatly against his chest. A circlet of pearls, shells, and glimmering stones adorned his forehead. His black and gold tail, draped over one of the armrests, swished somewhat which ruffled his long, translucent-shimmer fins as Gladio and his two victims entered.

After tucking a thin gold-woven braid behind his ears, he spoke, voice calm and confident: “Gladiolus, you’ve returned. I see you’ve brought a… guest? Along with our missing friend.”

“Ignis, my king, with all due respect - you’re not going to like this. _Prompto,”_ Gladio fumed, spitting out each word as if disgusted, “was flirting with the twolegs. He _also_ stole your necklace, gifted it to the human, _and_ to make matters worse I learned that he’s been collecting more than just seashells from the shore. We should never have allowed him to leave. His freedom could cost us our lives.”

“Do you truly believe this human is dangerous?” Ignis asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked Noctis over and judging by his expression, was quite unimpressed. “He seems young, likely Prompto’s age. You’ve frightened him, haven’t you? Did you hurt him?” Turning more directly to Noctis, he raised a scaled hand to gesture toward him with his palm. “Were you hurt by my soldier, little one?”

“No, um… Your Majesty, sir.” Noctis offered an awkward shake of the head which turned into a half-bow, as much as he could manage underwater. He had no idea that Gladio would take them directly to their king - he certainly felt significantly more afraid than before. “I’m fine. If anything, Prompto’s the one who was hurt. He’s… really upset by all of this.”

“I see. Gladiolus, let him go, please.”

“Yes, my king.” Begrudgingly, Gladio let go of Prompto’s wrist. Prompto tended to his bruised wrist while frowning, passing a hurt glare toward the mersoldier. That glare was met with an intimidating sharpness that made Prompto cower away, head low as he swam several feet back.

Ignis beckoned Prompto forward in response to the display. “Come here, child. You’re not in any trouble, at least not yet. I’d like to know more about this situation. Perhaps you and your human accomplice can explain yourselves?”

Prompto, trembling, cleared his throat to try to stop the shaking in his voice to little avail. “Y-You see, my king, I was going to the shore to collect… things. I find all sorts of strange items, even better than seashells! But only if it’s close to human lands. I found something shiny in the water and went to go look at it, I may have had a nibble… and then the next thing I know, I’m caught in something terrible, in these awful invisible bonds of some kind and my mouth is hurting… but Noctis - I mean, the human, saved me by cutting me free, and helped fix my injury. To thank him I, um… I may have borrowed your necklace, so I could properly thank him. I wanted to give him something else, but Gladio interrupted before I could.”

Ignis nodded understandingly. After a second, he slowly lifted himself from the throne. At this, Gladio immediately went to the king’s side and scowled, keeping pace as Ignis swam close to Noctis and inspected the stolen necklace, slender fingertips caressing the shell centerpiece and causing it to give off a faint golden glow. “Did you know this was stolen?”

“No, I didn’t, your majesty. I thought it was just a gift. I didn’t even know it had the power to do all this. But… I’m glad. At least this gives us a chance to explain ourselves. I know you’ll probably want to wipe my memory of this place, but… if you do, you’re welcome to take the necklace back. Just, um, please don’t take it off right now.”

Ignis chuckled. “Of course, child. The truth is, this is just the experimental replica I’ve kept from my studies. The real one is in no danger, and you’re lucky Prompto chose this instead - the genuine necklace holds magic powerful enough to kill one of your size just by looking at it.”

Noctis froze, eyes wide. “I… I see. I’m sorry, sir.”

“Are you going to wipe his memory or not? We can’t let him have such intimate knowledge of our home - ” interjected Gladio, tone ringing with resentful impatience.

Turning, Ignis reached out for Gladio’s hand, who immediately surrendered his palm into the king’s grasp. “Gladiolus, I will make whatever decision I see fit. I will not be swayed by your obvious, albeit understandable, distaste for twolegs. You’ve done a great service protecting us from the damages that humankind has cast upon our home, but you must know deep within yourself that a child can’t bring down a kingdom. You have nothing to fear.” After a thoughtful pause and a slight smile, Ignis continued, “I’d like to swear his protection.”

“You _what?”_ Gladio hissed, but bit back further response. Prompto looked a bit hopeful, but kept his expression restrained in the king’s presence.

Turning to Noctis, Ignis let go of Gladio’s hands and took both of Noctis’ in his. “With your consent, you swear to protect this kingdom and all of its inhabitants, until your soul parts from this realm. You will not mention our kingdom to any human, for any reason. If you break this oath you will be forbidden from touching these waters for eternity. I see you’re questioning what you will receive in turn: for your vow of silence, you will be granted our protection and will follow my ruling as king. Additionally you may continue educating our Prompto in the ways of human life. He’s becoming a scholar of sorts, the first to have such close contact without irreparable danger. I’m equally as interested in this relationship, therefore I’m allowing it to continue. Do I have your consent?”

Not feeling like he had much of a choice to say no - nor wanting to - Noctis agreed, the words leaving his mouth before he realized. “Yes, my king...”

Noctis wasn’t expecting the king to lean close and bring their mouths together in a kiss. A deep chill enveloped his entire body, leaving him tingling like pins-and-needles when Ignis pulled away with a satisfied expression on his face.

“The oath is cast. You no longer have any need for the necklace, but you may keep it if you wish. I simply removed its magical properties and bestowed them upon you instead - that way we don’t risk concern if the necklace is lost or stolen by anyone else. Thank you for returning it to me, Noctis.”

Unable to speak and still in shock, Noctis just nodded.

“You are dismissed for now,” Ignis said, turning to give his attention to the very grumpy-faced Gladio behind him. Resting a hand on his soldier’s scarred tail, the king murmured, “Come now, Gladiolus, your scars are warm... please, let me heal you this time. To my chambers?”

“Yes, my king.” He sounded defeated, but beneath all that, there was a tired, almost thankful surrender as Ignis led him by hand toward a secondary hall behind the throne.

When they were out of sight, Prompto sighed heavily and clutched at his chest, hand over the chocobo lure. “I thought we were going to _die,_ oh gods, but you got the king’s _blessing!_ Do you know how _awesome_ that is? It means we can stay together as long as we want now. And no more interference from ‘king’s-soldier-who-doesn’t-let-anyone-have-any-fun-if-he-can-help-it’ Gladio. I’m so sorry he caught us… but in a way, I’m glad he did. I don’t think he was expecting any of this to happen.”

Noctis laughed, a flurry of bubbles rising and disappearing as they drifted toward the ceiling. “Yeah, I agree. Let’s, uh, get out of here and go back to your cave? I don’t think I finished telling you about all the stuff you brought me.”

“Yes _please,”_ came the enthusiastic reply. With that, the two swam in comfortable silence back toward Prompto’s home, Noctis admiring all of the sealife around him with new respect. If the king trusted him, or was at least willing to give him a chance, he still had hope of spending many more days with his new friend. On land, he never felt important, but here… he felt welcomed. And he cherished every moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you don't mind the bit of gladnis undertoning! I thought it would be fitting that Gladio be the protective soldier who worries about his king - who else but Ignis? Ignis seems like the type who could definitely pull off a mer-king aura. Next chapter I plan for a bit more magic and maybe even some adventures too? :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis helps Prompto learn about his life as a human, and Prompto then decides to ask the king for help with an important task.

“Hey, Noct? What’s it like where you live? On land?” Prompto asked, crossing his arms against the rocks and resting his chin against his hands. He looked up at Noctis who seemed thankful to be out of the water for a bit, happily letting his clothes dry off in the warm atmosphere of Prompto’s secret hideaway opening. He laid on his stomach, in a similar pose but letting one hand rest lazily in the water, ripples forming any time he swished his palm through the clear depths.

“Well, there isn’t really much water. It’s all land, but sometimes there’s lakes and rivers and that means there’s lots of fish. I go fishing often, but never saw any merpeople; well, not ‘til now, at least.” Noctis opened and closed his palm, cool pressure brushing against his hand as the water moved with him. “We don’t live in caves, we’ve got houses and cars and boats and planes - and can go pretty much anywhere we want. Unless you’re like me, I’m stuck in a hotel with my dad because we’re hiding from some dangerous people who want his money.”

Prompto frowned, lacing his fingers against Noctis’ and gently squeezing. “I… I understand that. There’s some bad creatures around here too. Don’t talk to anything without fins, and you’ll probably be safe.”

“What do you mean?”

Leaning close, Prompto whispered anxiously, “We’re not supposed to talk about the Banished one. But… you’ll probably find out about him sooner or later. He murdered the previous king and nearly killed Gladio as well in his thirst for chaos… if the others hadn’t stepped in and provided enough distraction for us to escape, we all would have died. He’s… he’s terrifying.”

“Banished, huh? Must take a lot to get banished, if you guys took me in…” Noctis muttered, noting the seriousness in Prompto’s tone.

“Yeah. He… he’s dangerous. He could freeze you with a single glance and break you like a piece of coral if he wanted to. Everything about him is toxic. Even his blood. It runs through him like he’s possessed. If you’re not careful, he could catch you in a cloud of poison… It’s why there’s so few of us left, and why our king is so hesitant to let us wander. I’m quick-tailed, I can definitely outswim the Banished one if he chases me, but… I can’t really say the same for you. We should probably stick close together. Maybe I can ask Gladio if he’ll spare one of his weapons so you can stay safe if something happens.”

“Hm…” Noctis hummed, frown at his lips. Suddenly all of Gladio’s scars made more sense, and his overly-protective nature seemed warranted; especially knowing of such a danger on the loose. Noctis considered himself lucky that he hadn’t run into him before. “I’ll be sure to stay away from any strangers. I still don’t really know my way around, so it’d be better for me to stay with you anyway to keep from getting lost.”

“Right.” Prompto nodded, the hand in Noctis’ swaying somewhat beneath the water as silence fell. Noctis swept a hand through his hair to slick it back and then sat up. “So… you never did finish telling me about your home. Maybe I can hear more?”

“Sure, anything you wanna know?”

The two easily became lost in their conversation, Noctis explaining everything he could - although he had trouble explaining some things like ‘grocery stores’ and ‘shoes’ and ‘newspapers,’ among other miscellaneous places and ideas. But he eventually found a way to describe these things in terms Prompto understood, and felt quite satisfied with himself.

“I really wish I could see your home one day, at this hotel you mentioned… but… I can't leave the water. I mean, I can breathe air, but I can't move on land like you because I'm not a human,” Prompto muttered forlornly, “Maybe I can ask the king for help. I can tell him everything you've taught me, and see if that's enough to ask him for a small favor in return. Even if it's just for one night out of the rest of forever, I'd like to see what human life is like. I could even call it ‘research’ and hope he agrees.”

“Worth a try,” Noctis suggested, and slipped back into the water to follow Prompto back to the main cave hall, where the king sat on his throne. Gladio floated beside him looking a bit less bitter; maybe even happy? A strange sparkle resonated in his eyes as he greeted the two.

Ignis greeted them as well, with a polite nod. “Prompto, Noctis, you’re faring well? Did you need something?”

“I’d… well, if I may, my king, I had a bit of a favor to ask. Okay, a big favor… is there any way you can turn me human?”

Ignis raised an eyebrow, and Gladio spat bubbles in surprise.

“You want to become a human? I’m not so sure I’m capable of that…”

“Maybe… even just for one day?” Prompto pleaded, tail swishing rapidly as he clasped his hands together, anxious eyes looking up at the mer-king. “Please?”

Chin resting against his palm, Ignis closed his eyes, his braid coming loose from its place behind his ear and floating somewhat as he leaned forward in thought. “I’ll see what I can do. For your… research, of course. Please excuse me. I shall summon you when I find a solution. In the meantime, I’m sure Gladiolus would be happy to keep you company and perhaps find you something to eat. Isn’t that right, Gladiolus?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, sure, I can do that.” The way the soldier answered, almost a pleasant lilt in his tone; it just felt bizarre. Prompto and Noctis shared a confused expression as Ignis swam away, disappearing down the hall behind the throne.

Prompto tried not to chuckle as he asked Gladio, “Are you alright?” as he moved closer.

“What? Yeah. 'm fine. Food, right? Let’s go find some food. C’mon, let’s not bother the king with conversation, the walls echo in here.”

The three slipped out of the throne room and into a secondary chamber. Vine-like carvings with shards of glowrocks interspersed within lined the walls, and an opening toward the center let in some fading light from the day. Noctis wondered, if this place was so grandiose, why was it so empty? He’d imagined a place of this size bustling with fish and merfolk and yet, it was uncomfortably quiet save for a single humming voice belonging to a small, silver-red tailed mermaid basking in the chamber’s centerlight. The patterning looked familiar...

When they approached, she sat up, her cropped brown hair swishing against her face. She brushed her bangs out of the way and smiled. A curved seashell hung from a choker around her neck, small lengths of string connecting and holding up the hem of her billowy black overshirt. The bottom hem had been looped into a makeshift belt to keep it in place that looked like it had been made out of woven flower stems. It seemed compared to the other merfolk her scales passed her waist. Patches of them covered her neck, cheeks, and arms in a more frequent occurrence than the others.

“Gladdy, you’re - wait, who’s this? You brought a twolegs here?” Her confused voice rang with intrigue and the way her fins turned over a few times echoed of a fight-or-flight response.

“Don’t worry, Iris, he’s with me. He’s not gonna hurt you. He’s, uh, here because of the king because he’s friends with Prompto.” To Noctis, he murmured under his breath, “That’s my sister, be nice.”

“Ohh,” she said, raising a hand to cup her cheek and pause in thought. “Well! Anyway. I was just taking a break. You won’t believe how many bottles I made for His Majesty today. There’s plenty of extra to go around, so please take some!”

Iris swam over to her handiwork, a flat rock face that was littered with all kinds of bottles, their contents of all colors. Some even had what looked like flower petals floating inside, suspended in the liquid. Picking up two green bottles, she sent one to float over to Gladio and one Prompto’s way.

After some deliberation, she brought one of the dark blue bottles over to Noctis. Secretly he thanked that she’d chosen something other than green, because with his luck, it would taste just like it looked. Green.

“Try some?” asked Iris, uncapping the bottle. The mysterious liquid sloshed inside the glass but otherwise stayed in place as she handed it to Noctis. “I’m really proud of this one.”

Internally thinking _what could go wrong?_ he raised the bottle to his mouth and a thick, almost gelatin-like substance passed his lips and after some difficulty, he swallowed a mouthful. The taste was unlike any he’d experienced before; layered in increasingly confusing complexity. First it was a biting, almost spicy harshness but it quickly devolved into a more mellow, gentle taste that warmed him from the inside out, welcome in the water’s chill that he still had yet to grow accustomed. What flavor was it even close to? Floral, but peppery, and yet also nostalgic somehow. The flavors of the end note that resonated in his mouth as he set the bottle down vaguely reminded him of a minty fruit.

Prompto chimed in after taking a long drink from his own bottle. “Noctis? What’d you think?”

“Uh,” was all he could come up with, his tongue strangely heavy in his mouth as if giving up trying to process all the flavors. “It’s… different. Can’t say I’ve had anything like this before. It's not bad, though.”

“You’ll get used to it soon, I hope! We try to keep these stashed when we can, in case we can’t find anything from foraging or hunting traps. I even double-batched this so we’ve got way more than planned,” Iris said, nodding proudly. She took the bottle back from Noctis and swirled her hand around the cap, a soft pop and a brief swirl of light sealing the bottle fully.

“Always prepared,” Gladio hummed, setting his half-empty bottle aside. “Keep this for me? This’s better than the last one too. Good job.”

“Great! I’ll put it in your room when I’m finished sealing all these. Prompto? Did you like yours?”

The blond smiled in response and nodded. “Mm. Really good! I wish I could finish this but I’ve gotta take Noct back to land before it gets too late. To be extra safe.”

“You two be careful, okay?”

After saying goodbye to Iris and Gladio, Prompto took Noctis by the hand and led him back toward the cave’s main entrance. “She’s super sweet. The only one other than His Majesty who can make Gladio smile no matter what.”

“Weird, isn’t it?” Noctis chuckled, already accustomed to the soldier’s scarred and usually scowling features.

“I know, right? Weird. But he cares about her a lot. She’s really strong, just like he is, but he worries so much. He’s a good brother.”

“Yeah.”

They swam back and as the shore approached, Prompto paused. “Noct?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll let you know what happens with the, uh, humanstuff. Even if it’s just for an hour, maybe, you really don’t mind showing me around?”

Noctis smiled, floating close so he could nuzzle Prompto’s forehead with his own. “Don’t mind at all. I think you’ll like it.”

After a quick parting kiss from Prompto, Noctis waved goodbye and headed back toward the shore, thankful that the king’s magic graced him with the ability to see so clearly even in dimly-lit waters. It was weird being on land again, his clothes feeling heavy and his limbs sluggish, but he sloshed his way back to the hotel, thoughts of food, a nice bath, and sleep already warming his mind.

 _If only Prompto were human,_ Noctis found himself thinking as he kicked his boots off by the door, plucking his keyring from its magneted spot beneath the hollow of a nearby flowerpot. _I’d finally have someone who could stay here with me. No running. No hiding. No lies. Someone who’d be with me no matter what, even if I have nothing… I hope I can have that one day. But… I want him. No one else. I can’t really explain why…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks for reading :D I'm slowly chipping away at new ideas for this story and I have all sorts of expectations I hope I can fulfill in writing for the upcoming chapters!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis runs into trouble unexpectedly... is it too late for anyone to come to his rescue?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo new chapter! I promise I'm still steadily working at this and hope to get some more done soon! I've just taken a small break to work on some other wips to get them out of my folders XD so I should have a good variety incoming in the next few posts I hope to make!

Noctis slept heavily that night, the first night he’d had a full night’s sleep in weeks. Swimming was far more exhausting than walking; as soon as he’d rested his still-wet head onto the pillow after a longer-than-intended bath, he was out for the night.

Memories of the day flickered through his dreaming mind. Prompto's lips, soft against his, and the strangeness between them. To Prompto, Noctis wasn't sure what he meant. Prompto had kissed him to be able to talk to him; but yet when Noctis told him what it meant to him, was he imagining the difference in the gentleness of his lips?

“Noctis,” came the voice of his father once again, floating over through the fog of his imagination as he remembered he’d started daydreaming at breakfast.

“Hm? Sorry. Not awake yet,” he replied, trying to shake the visions of orange-blue scales from his mind; the sight of flowing, blond hair as Prompto swished back and forth beneath the water -

His father sighed, laced his fingers together and rested his palms on the table. His breakfast had long been finished, to the point that Noctis wondered if he’d even eaten. “Noctis, I wanted to talk to you. I’ve noticed you’ve been gone quite a bit these past few days and I just wanted to make sure that everything is alright. That you’re safe. You haven’t run into any trouble while fishing?”

“Nope. None at all. Just been, uh, really into fishing. Swimming sometimes, too. There’s lots of stuff to see out there. Much better than the last place we’d been stuck at. That river was not fish-friendly, I don’t care what the locals said.”

With a chuckle, his father spoke with an undertone of worry: “When you go, please be safe. The ocean can be quite a dangerous place, but I wonder if it’s safer than land sometimes. These days, it may well be. Stay safe, Noctis. Watch your back. If anything suspicious happens, please tell me.”

“Of course…”

While his father lately seemed a good deal more overprotective than usual, it was hard to understand. He never told Noctis much about their pursuers other than “they want what they can’t have” and “all the money they could procure can’t compare with what they seek.” But wasn’t this all about money? Maybe some secret, like, the cure for cancer or something. But that wasn’t even in their business. As far as Noctis knew, they just had a lot of money. And a lot of people out to get them. And a lot of security guards to prevent that. Noctis didn’t know, and honestly, with the way things were going, he didn’t want to know. He was starting to actually _enjoy_ his life at this hotel. He actually didn’t want to think about leaving, or moving on, gods forbid he had to leave Prompto behind to deal with his own battles alone once again…

“I think I’m gonna head out again. Gonna take the boat and go for a swim after fishing, I think.”

Without much else, Noctis wandered off to change, checked his phone for the time, and set that aside as he grabbed a few things, headed out the door, locked up, and ventured off to the boat. Trying to trace his path back to the caves above water proved a bit tricky, but he eventually made his way out far enough that he felt comfortable he could find his way on his own if he swam. Slipping his socks and shoes off, he instead changed into some water-shoes (they fit more like socks with toes, but helped him swim faster given their breathable material) and dove in off the side of the boat, forgoing his fishing supplies on the deck. He had more important things on his mind.

Luckily enough, his inner sense of direction had been right - Prompto’s cave was just a short swim below the boat. Noctis felt along his pocket as he entered the cave, happy to know that his chocobo-lure present was still there. He wanted to give Prompto another, just to see him smile again… he had plenty on land and could always buy more. But seeing that smile was well worth it.

Prompto wasn’t home, so Noctis swam up to the hideaway and waited, setting the rubber duck from its place on the rocks floating out into the open water. He figured that should be enough signal he was there, and simply waited. The chocobo lure rested on the rocks beside him, glimmering, and he knew it would be safest there. If anything it’d be a surprise for another time if he forgot it was there.

Minutes passed, and still no sign of Prompto. Maybe he was out in the main caves? Noctis slipped back into the water and was surprised to find Prompto coming in, on his way out.

“Oh! Prompto! I thought you were somewhere else. I was just about to go looking for you, because, uh… I had something I wanted to give you. Come with me!”

Prompto smiled simply, following Noctis through the cave and back to the hideaway. He was oddly quiet, but Noctis tried not to think too much about it. Maybe he’d had a rough morning.

Pulling himself out of the water a second time proved difficult, when _something_ suckered itself to his leg and dragged him back beneath the surface. Noctis thrashed about in confusion only to be face to face with looming, black-tipped tentacles and a human body joined to them - black and gold eyes shimmering, almost playfully, in the dancing light from the rocks above, green reflecting dully against the maroon trails of his long, curled hair. There was only one thought that came to mind - this must be who Prompto mentioned. The Banished one.

_“Hello,”_ crooned his captor, as Noctis continued to struggle to no avail. The tentacles had him bent at such an angle he couldn’t fight back and was helplessly pinned as uncomfortably slimy, sticky, probing suckers trailed across every inch of him as if inspecting him, or… tasting him. “I’m surprised we haven’t met any sooner. Unfortunately I couldn’t introduce myself until now, with these… _opportune_ circumstances arising. The others wouldn’t take too kindly to my presence here, you know. It’s a pity.”

“You’re the Banished one, aren’t you? Where's… Where's Prompto?” Noctis choked out, fighting one hand free to brush a straying tentacle from wrapping around his neck. Its texture was absolutely disgusting against his skin; the unpleasant, heavy obsidian-colored slime left trailing on him made him gag.

“Mm. I prefer the name _Ardyn._ You would too, if ‘Banished’ was the only way anyone ever referred to you. Wouldn’t you say?” Ardyn smiled, a sharp-toothed, menacing smirk. His politeness was nothing but a facade to the underlying threatening in his tone. “As for your dear friend, I can't say, he's been missing all morning. Poor Ignis is worried sick, and for once, I'm not to blame!” A hand gestured out in a dramatic manner, tentacles following as he peeled himself away one loosening sucker at a time. Just as he was about to fully free himself, two shadows appeared in the cave’s entrance and Ardyn reattached himself to Noctis with an almost suffocating grip, dragging his squirming body behind him as he tried to push his way through their unexpected guests.

“Noct!!”

“Hey! Get off of him!!”

Prompto and Gladio. Hopefully, coming to his rescue.

Noctis tried to speak, but his shout escaped in a sudden flurry of bubbles that only became trapped behind a thick, clammy tentacle adhering itself to his mouth. Ardyn only dragged him further out toward the cave entrance, but paused when met with the jagged, pointed end of a carved bone spear.

“Let him go. _Now,”_ the soldier hissed. Prompto, too, seemed to bristle up as if waiting for any chance to attack.

“Oh, and if I don’t? You’re going to stab me with your toy, is it?”

Noctis continued fighting but the grip tightened further until he felt like he would burst - the tentacle at his mouth trailed away to grip at his neck instead, squeezing and constricting like a terrifying seasnake…

“After what I’d done to you last time, you still have the urge to play with me? I commend your stupidity,” Ardyn added, throwing Noctis around in his grip as if to show off his prey. Taking Noctis’ cheeks between one hand, Ardyn yanked his frightened teary-eyed face toward Prompto and mocked, “Oh, if _only_ there were someone who could _save me,_ a helpless twolegs, from the terrible Banished one! Whatever shall I do?” As he spoke, black slime oozed and rose from his skin, his eyes, like smog clouding the water.

Finally, Gladio had enough - he lunged forward and jabbed the spear directly at Ardyn’s chest - but he vanished in a suffocating burst of ink.

Noctis’ lungs burned as he struggled to free himself from the swirling, nauseating cloud, choking on the toxic taste of it… no matter how hard he fought, he knew he was succumbing to whatever poison that cloud contained within itself. Panic fired rapidly through him but left him frozen, paralyzed in the shock of the attack. Even as the ink began to dissipate, only slightly, he lost himself to the heavy darkness and its hold on his tired body; through the cloud was a distant echo of Prompto screaming,

_“Noct!!”_


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis wakes up from the poisoning resting in Ignis’ potions-brewing room, with the merking and Prompto both at his side.

Glowrocks pulsed their waning light as Noctis slowly came to. His head pounded and his throat and lungs were on fire; every breath felt like he was suffocating still, but a hand against his now-shirtless chest offered a subtle gesture of comfort. His shirt was gone, he laid on a bed of something that felt like sand and moss, and the only thing he recognized in this cave room were the crystalline lights.

“Noctis, how are you feeling? Can you move?” The merking floated over him. Prompto, Noctis realized, was on his other side. More and more became visible to Noctis as his eyes readjusted to consciousness. Prompto’s tailfins swiped back and forth, his face painted in a stoic nervousness that Noctis wasn’t sure he fully understood. The same expression mirrored on the King’s face.

All Noctis could bring himself to do at first was raise his hand, slowly curling the fingers into a fist and then uncurling when the pain became too much. He was unrecognizably tense and sore, pain sparking at the slightest motion as if he’d pulled every muscle in his body.

“As I suspected,” muttered Ignis, and Noctis watched as he moved some items around on a table nearby. After a quiet chanting directed at a long, thin vial he held in his hands, Ignis returned with it; inside the vial drifted an almost familiar luminescent blue liquid. “Drink, please, if you can.”

Prompto helped aid Noctis into a semi-sitting position while Ignis tipped the mouth of the glass bottle against his lips. The taste of it hardly registered as Noctis managed to swallow a mouthful, the thick liquid offering a vaguely mintish tingle as it worked its way past his burning throat. After a slow inhale, he tried for a second swallow but choked, sending the potion scattering in globules out into the surrounding water.

The merking’s dimly glowing pearl-braceleted hands delicately hovered over Noctis’ heaving chest as if analyzing him, his gaze searching for any signs of change.

“Breathe, please… try not to stress yourself. We shall try the remedy again some other time. I see that it won’t be very effective for now.” Directed at Prompto, Ignis ordered firmly, “I need you to take Gladiolus with you to fetch some blue seaflower buds. Take an empty bottle from Iris and fill it with ink - any creature with an ink sac should suffice. Return to me at once when you’ve finished. Time is of the essence. You are dismissed.”

“Yes, my king,” Prompto answered, and disappeared in a spray of bubbles and one last frightened glance at Noctis.

As soon as Prompto vanished, the merking swam over to the entrance to the room and covered it with a draping partition, as if to offer some sense of privacy.

“I need to discuss something with you, Noctis, if I may. Are you able? Or do you need to rest?” His hands folded neatly against the edge of the mossbed as he waited for an answer.

After clearing his throat, Noctis realized whatever he managed to keep down had a slight numbing effect that kept the burning sensation at bay for a while. “I can talk. It’s about… him, isn’t it?”

“Precisely. He carries a great poison within him, one that I’ve lost too many of my subjects to. Gladiolus, nearly, as well. You’re the first to survive with minimal damage. Perhaps it’s your human ‘immune system,’ is it? That is also at work to filter the poison out. It seems you’ve been temporarily, although minutely, paralyzed. I shall do what I can to ease your pain, with your permission.”

“Of course - please, my… my king, sir, this is… really uncomfortable.”

“I can imagine so,” Ignis said forlornly, the light at his palms growing somewhat brighter as they probed gently along Noctis’ chest once again. As his fingers pressed to a point just below Noctis' sternum, he calmly urged, “Breathe, deeply if you can; you may feel lightheaded in a moment but it will pass.”

Despite the straining, Noctis managed a very slight nod of acknowledgment and relaxed against the King’s touch, having no choice but to take in as much as his lungs could handle and surrender himself to the hope of offered relief.

“Not many have met Ardyn and lived to speak of it. He has been Banished from our waters for so long and yet, he still insists on making… playthings… of us all. I should have been more cautious; at the very least I should have armed you. I take full responsibility for what happened. I offer my deepest apologies and my healing abilities to you, hoping that will be enough for you to forgive my unpreparedness. You don’t carry any weapons, do you?”

“Just a pocketknife,” Noctis groaned as a sudden dizziness blinded him as if he’d been thrown against a wall, “But… I left it on the boat. With my fishing stuff. And, uh… I doubt that’d do any good.”

Ignis offered a bitter chuckle at the observation. “You’re quite right. Gladiolus told me even his spear did no damage. It seems magic is the safest way to go. He doesn’t have access to the resources or skilled potionsmakers that we have here. His… ‘strength,’ if you could call it that, is his instinctual craftiness. The will to survive at the cost of all else, as any predator would. That, and his ability to mimic any creature he’s ever encountered in these waters. As soon as I'm certain of your condition's improvement, I will offer what magical assistance I can. You hold magic within you now, and all I have to do is help you hone it. To outsmart Ardyn, we may need to try a more… creative approach ourselves.”

As he listened, Noctis let out the breath he’d been holding. No matter how hard he tried to untense his body, it just wasn’t working. His father’s words of _watch your back_ echoed in his head like a guilty mantra. He should have been more careful, but he had been too excited; how much did Ardyn know about Prompto, about him? Any of them? From what Ardyn had told him, it was almost like he had eyes everywhere… and Noctis really didn’t want to think about that.

“Prompto and Gladiolus should return soon with the ingredients I need, which should help return you to your full range of motion. In the meantime, I…” The king’s voice trailed off as his gaze wandered over Noctis’ stiff form. “There’s something here I didn’t see before.”

“...What? What is it?” Panic surged through Noctis like a crashing wave and no matter how hard he fought to move, to touch whatever it was that the king was staring at, he remained as still as stone. With a renewed brightness at his fingertips, Ignis carefully took Noctis’ chin in his palm to turn his head to the side, exposing his neck.

Ignis frowned, a whisper of a curse under his breath. “Ink. That must be the true cause of your lingering paralysis. It’s concentrated here, in what almost looks like a… bite, or sting perhaps.”

When just a fingertip touched to Noctis’ neck, it sent a white-hot strike of pain through his panicked body. A large cloud of bubbles escaped as Noctis gasped, his hands left frantically pressing into the moss beneath him in a desperate attempt to hold to _something, anything…_

Just then, as if in answer to Noctis’ silent prayers, Prompto - Gladiolus following a few feet behind - slipped in past the partition on the other end of the room. Prompto held Ignis’ ingredients in his hands but nearly dropped them when he saw the twisted expression of anguish on Noctis’ pale face. Gladio, too, directed a sympathetic glance his way. As if to say, _I know your pain._

“What happened?” Prompto asked, shakily depositing the ingredients on Ignis’ table before rushing over to run his fingers through Noctis’ tangled hair. “Are… are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“I’ve found the concentrated source of the poison; if we act quickly it won’t be too late. Prompto, Gladiolus, if you would - hold him down. I need him as still as possible in case his body reacts before he can stop it. I'd like to see this through with minimal pain.”

From the table, Ignis reached for what appeared to be a glass bulb, and a segment of an oyster shell that had been carved into a bladed point. Noctis felt all the blood drain from his already-pale face, he knew what was about to happen. Prompto’s hands were gentle on his wrists, but Gladio’s were firm as they both pressed him against the moss, sinking him slightly into it.

Even though Noctis’ head remained tilted slightly to the side, Prompto leaned down just enough to touch his forehead to Noctis’ and offer a sympathetic glance as Ignis set to work.

It was over quickly - a sharp stab at his neck accompanied a flash of blinding pain and then an immediate sensation like being drained; a pained whine left Noctis as he struggled through a deep breath at Ignis’ instruction, and Prompto’s gentle encouragement. It was only after Noctis had moved that he realized his hand was gripping Prompto’s wrist in an iron-tight grip, eyes wide.

Prompto let go of Noctis to instead cradle his chin between his palms and kiss him gently, but deeply. In that moment Noctis was surprised enough to forget the pain he’d been feeling and instead, soon found himself drifting into a comfortable, dreamlike state when Prompto finally pulled away.

“Thank you for that - distraction - Prompto, I’d say it worked wonders,” Ignis’ voice floated over, tinted with amusement. Gladio, too, as he chimed in with,

“Think that did the trick.”

Eyes closed, Noctis breathed slowly. He already felt better, less lingering pain, and the tautness that strung his limbs already felt like it had mostly dissipated thanks to Ignis’ quick thinking.

“Thank you,” Noctis managed, a weary smile tugging at his lips.

“You’re welcome,” Ignis replied, turning his attention to tending to healing the now-drained wound. A small blackish bruise remained, but Ignis assured him that it was likely to dissipate soon. “You should rest. Prompto, would you mind staying with Noctis while I start brewing potential antidotes with this…” he paused, smiling, “sample?”

Noctis had turned out to be useful in the end, despite getting hurt; he found the thought oddly happy. With whatever inkpoison he’d pulled from Noctis, that meant he’d be able to use it to test an effective remedy - maybe even immunity - to the poison.

“Don’t mind me,” Prompto muttered wearily through a small smile, curling up next to Noctis on the moss bed and cradling his head against his chest. Prompto was warm, his presence comforting, almost coaxing him to sleep, but he fought to stay awake just a little while longer to enjoy their closeness. One of Noctis’ hands weakly reached up to wrap around Prompto’s slender waist and pull him just a little bit closer, humming softly.

“Mm. I don’t mind at all.”

Noctis drifted into a dreamless sleep as Prompto held him, the sounds of clinking bottles and brewing magic nearby a relaxing ambience to his recovery.

When he next woke, Prompto was still at his side. It looked like he’d fallen asleep himself. Noctis, unsure of the time, glanced around for Ignis or Gladio, but the merking and his soldier were nowhere to be found. So Noctis just laid his head back against the moss and held Prompto just a bit closer, the faint memories of Ardyn’s disguise at the back of his mind.

“We have to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Noctis whispered, gently touching a palm to Prompto’s cheek while he slept. “I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t want you to get hurt. I… I really… love you. I can’t explain why, but, I… I think you understand. Don’t you, Prompto..? You must feel it too.”

He knew he wouldn’t get an answer, but he was just satisfied to know he’d finally let out the unexplained feelings that had been pent up inside him - fear, worry, but most importantly, love. Even if Prompto didn’t understand it the way he did, just letting it out felt so much better, like he’d lifted a heavy weight off of his chest.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto tells Noctis that Ignis found a way to make him human, even though it's just for one night during the full moon each month...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally had a chance to update this, apologies for the weird posting time! I haven't been sleeping well lately so I thought I'd try to be productive and finish the chapter draft I had!

“I didn’t get to tell you this the other day, but… now that everything’s calmed down - are you okay?” Prompto asked, voice heavy with apparent concern as a scale-flecked hand reached over through the water to give Noctis’ own a gentle touch.

“Yeah, I’m alright. What’s up?”

It was true, he was feeling remarkably better. Ignis’ remedies worked magic and it was almost as if he’d never been attacked in the first place, save for a small, barely noticeable blotchy scar on his neck. At least it no longer hurt to move - which was the most important.

“Well, the reason we’d been gone that day was… His Majesty had found - he found a way to make me human. Even though he said the spell only activates at night, during the full moon. I’m so nervous, but… you’ll show me around… right?”

“Absolutely!” blurted Noctis, feeling his heart leap against his ribs. For some reason, the thought that the merking entertained enough of their desire to be together to find a way to turn Prompto human - even if it was just for a short time - brought warmth to him. “I can show you my place. Well, it’s not a “home” exactly, but it’s where I live. I’ve made it work. If anything, this place’s feeling more like home to me than the one on land. I like it here.”

Prompto smiled and nuzzled his forehead against Noctis’ shoulder. “I’m kinda scared, but… really excited. I just have to share what I see on land when I get back, that’s really the only catch to it. But I can do that, as long as that’s okay with you.”

“You’ve got a lot to see. I look forward to showing you around.”

When the destined night arrived, the full moon rose big and bright, shining strong above the waves as if radiating magic itself. Noctis sat on the edge of the dock, waiting for Prompto to join him. He remembered Prompto mentioning arriving after nightfall, to make sure he was ready.

Sure enough, blond tufts drifted through the seafoam and Prompto eventually came into view, arms clinging to the dock as the waves carried him closer. Noctis reached out to pull him up onto the platform when he realized that Prompto was…

_Naked._

Of course he’d be, right? Noctis hadn’t thought to bring any spare clothes - the only thing extra he could shed was his black half-jacket, which he immediately slipped free of to wrap around Prompto’s wet and shivering shoulders. Both of them muttered awkward apologies to each other as Noctis struggled to assist Prompto’s arms through the sleeves and pull up the zipper - _oh no, my hands are way too close, please don’t think too much about it_ \- Noctis swore to himself; after pulling the zipper up to Prompto’s still-sturdy chocobo lure necklace, he offered an uneasy smile.

“Let’s get you inside. Warmed up. I could fill up the bath for you if you’d like. Nice hot water, maybe some bubbles or something.”

“Bath?” Prompto’s eyes sparkled in the moonlight, full of curiosity.

“Yeah. A bath and, uh… some clothes. At least while you’re here.”

Noctis helped Prompto back to the hotel. Prompto leaned very heavily against Noctis’ shoulder, his legs wobbling like jelly with every step he took. His feet looked like they wanted to give out any second, but his steady grip on Noctis’ arm, and Noctis’ arm around Prompto’s jacketed waist, helped him get the hang of it as they made their way back to Noctis’ room.

Prompto watched fascinated as Noctis turned the key in the door’s lock, and when the door opened he kept his eyes on it until it closed behind them. Noctis ventured into the room to turn some lights on, and gestured for Prompto to follow behind him. “Here, c’mon. Let’s find you some clothes, and I’ll start a bath for you. I think you’ll like it. It’ll help if you’re feeling cold, at least.”

“Ooh.”

Prompto sat on the tub’s edge and watched with interest as the faucet sprayed a steady stream of steaming water. He let his fingers drift experimentally under the spray, wiggling his fingers against the water’s warmth. A satisfied smile lingered as his eyes drifted closed. Noctis smiled too, watching Prompto peacefully enjoying himself.

“First thing’s first, though, we gotta get that jacket off so you can get in the water. Can’t get my clothes too wet. Can you get it, or do you need help again?”

Prompto blushed lightly but nodded. “Human clothes are weird.”

Slowly, Noctis approached, hand against Prompto’s chest as he gently pulled the zipper down.

_Don’tlookdon’tlookdon’tlookdon’tlookdon’tlook…_

This time it was Prompto’s turn to look away once Noctis eased his shoulders free of the black jacket and let it fall heavily to the tub’s side. Prompto, now naked once again, looked down between his legs. Blond brows furrowed in confusion before he looked back at Noctis.

“Is, um… is this supposed to be… uh. _Out,_ like this?”

“W-well. Yeah. Guys have one just like that, more or less.”

“Ours don’t show. Not unless we’re um… you know.” Prompto blinked, poked himself, and made another intrigued expression, but Noctis was quick to direct him into the bath’s mostly-full water and pour a gratuitous amount of soap into it to make sure nothing could be seen. Better for the both of them, for tonight…

“So! About your human… human-ness. This is just for tonight, right? Doesn’t that mean at sunrise you’ll turn back into your normal body?”

Prompto nodded. “That’s what His Majesty told me, yeah. So as long as I can get back to the dock before the sun comes up I’ll be okay. Although I wouldn’t mind staying in your… bath? For a while if I had to. It’s kinda comfy in here.”

“I’ll set an alarm to make sure you get back in time in case we fall asleep. Don’t worry.”

Scooping up a handful of bubbles, Prompto played with them, sculpting them into odd shapes and smushing them in his hands, squirming at the odd texture of the bubbles as they popped against his skin.

“This is weird. But… I kinda like it. I like being human. It’s… nice. Different, but nice.”

“Wonder if that means I could be merfolk too?” Noctis mused, a dreamy smile painted across his face as he started imagining what it would be like to live underwater, free, magical…

After a while, Prompto stopped splashing and looked back at Noctis, a lonely gaze in his eyes. “I wish I could stay like this, then you could love me more.”

“What are you talking about?” Noctis asked, placing a hand on Prompto's shoulder. “I love you no matter what shape you have.”

“But… in the ocean, you were in danger… I should have been there to protect you, but I'm too weak. I can't do magic. Not like His Majesty. I can't throw spears like Gladio can. I can't even make potions like Iris. All I'm good at is bringing things back from the shoreline. But it's all meaningless stuff, isn't it? Who'd throw something important into the ocean, anyway…”

“I’m in danger out here too, y’know. But I’ve got you, and the King, and Gladio to keep me safe. Right? And up here my dad and I have security guards. They’re pretty good at keeping any unwelcome guests away.”

“So a whole bunch of Gladios?” Prompto asked with a small laugh. "You'd definitely be safe if that's the case."

“Yeah, pretty much.” Leaning down, Noctis trailed his fingertips through a small pile of bubbles, leaving a path where his hand touched between the bubbles and the water. Moments like this, he realized, he really missed. Prompto was really the first friend he’d had in years, and certainly the first he’d been able to be around consistently. He was glad that they were more than friends - briefly wondering if he’d just taken things too fast - but the gentle warmth that radiated through him just thinking of Prompto couldn’t lie. There must have been some kind of unexplainable push by destiny for them to meet.

When Noctis’ hand touched the water, Prompto’s own rose up through the bubbles and slipped their fingers together so he could hold hands. Bright, nervous-curious eyes watched Noctis, even though he seemed to hesitate. Noctis made the first move, to kiss him gently on his bubble-covered forehead. Prompto’s warm skin both smelled and tasted of lightly fruitish soap, but he didn’t mind.

“C’mon, you should get out of there for a bit. Unfortunately as a human you can’t stay in water forever.”

“Aw, okay.” Although Prompto protested, the yawn lingering at his lips spoke otherwise; Noctis, too, was beginning to feel tired.

Noctis pulled the drain plug from the bottom of the tub and helped Prompto dry off, making extra sure he was clean before turning and opening the top and second drawers of his dresser nearby. “Here, you can borrow some of my pajamas.”

“Pa… paja… what?”

“Nightclothes,” Noctis laughed, finding the way Prompto puffed out his cheeks in frustration adorable. “So you don’t get cold.”

Prompto frowned and looked at the t-shirt that Noctis held out to him; it was a simple heather-gray shirt with two black wings drawn across the chest. He gave an equally suspicious look at the underwear Noctis had in his other hand. “Human clothes are weird,” Prompto repeated, “Can’t I just go without them?”

“I, uh… I mean. We’re in private, so I guess… but you gotta wear clothes if we go outside.”

To Prompto’s credit, having to adjust so much was a lot to deal with; even though _this can’t be happening_ raced repeatedly through Noctis’ mind, he shrugged, put the clothes away, and pointed toward the doorway to his bedroom. “You wanna go take a nap before we have to get you back home?”

“Sure. Guess you don’t sleep in moss or sand, huh?” Prompto asked, draping the damp towel around his shoulders like a cape and holding onto it.

The bed was just as comfortable as Noctis remembered, and felt welcoming to his tired bones. He didn’t feel like getting up again to adjust the thermostat - he could barely be bothered to turn the bedside lamp off - so he just shrugged out of his shirt and his shoes and hoped for the best. Overheating during the night was one of his least favorite things about living in the hotel. The one important thing Noctis remembered to do was take his phone out of his pocket and set it on the table so they could wake up in time. “No moss or sand, just a comfy mattress and blankets. And pillows.”

Prompto’s hand sank into the mattress, and even deeper into the pillows. He watched with great interest when the form of his handprint sprang back slowly, repeating the process a couple times until Noctis gently took hold of Prompto’s hand, pulled the blankets around them both, and kissed Prompto’s forehead.

The blond made a sleepy noise, yawned again, and when Noctis turned the light off, he swore that was the fastest he’d ever known anyone to fall asleep - even himself.

“Goodnight, Prompto,” Noctis whispered, smiling. “Next time… I hope we can stay awake together a little longer. I have so much to share with you… there’s so much for you to see here. It’s nice… to not be alone.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto returns to the ocean, and Noctis catches sight of something strange on the horizon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first new fic post of the year! I know I've been overdue on this for a while, but I've finally sort of got my writing spark back! I spent a bit of time writing last night and wanted to get some writing done today too. I've really wanted to finish this, so I'm hoping I'll be able to in the next few months despite being super busy with zinework and other projects! Thank you to everyone who's subscribed to this story despite the lack of updates til now aaaaa

Noctis woke to the feeling of arms closing gently around his chest, and with a dazed smile remembered that Prompto had actually spent the night with him. Careful to not wake the sleeping blond, Noctis shifted and hovered his hand over his phone screen to check the time. It was just before sunrise, before his alarm was set to go off. He was surprised he felt awake at all, but perhaps it was the lingering fear in the back of his mind about not getting Prompto back to the water in time that motivated him to wake up…

The blond stirred beside him, rubbing a palm sleepily against his eyes and yawning.

“Morning, sleepy,” Noctis whispered, rubbing Prompto’s shoulder as he spoke. “I know it’s comfy here but we gotta get up. Gotta get you back home, alright?”

“Mm… do I have to?” Prompto asked, rolling over onto his other side and curling against Noctis’ chest. “Can’t I stay? ...Please?”

Noctis frowned. The pleading hurt, and refusing his request hurt even more. He wanted, more than anything, to be with Prompto as long as he could… never having to part again, to be able to stay together… but it was selfish of him. Prompto had his place, and Noctis had his… he shouldn’t go bending things he knew nothing about just to give himself a boyfriend.

He struggled out a reply, but eventually he managed, “We’ve still got a little time, but then we gotta get you back. Maybe His Majesty can help us out again? We won’t know ‘til you go back, since we gotta talk to him about it.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” muttered Prompto sadly, and Noctis just ran his fingers through Prompto’s soft hair before pulling him close.

“When the alarm goes off, we gotta get up. But ‘til then, I’ll keep you right here.”

“I like that idea…”

Noctis wished that everything could have stopped, so that the meager time they had before the sunrise would last just a bit longer, just long enough for him to remember what it was like to have Prompto there beside him, his presence warm and comforting in the bed and for once making him feel like he had someone in that place who understood him.

As he drowned himself in self-indulgent thoughts, it took him a moment to realize his phone was chiming. He regrettingly pulled himself up onto his elbows and disabled the alarm, forcing himself to swing his legs over the edge of the bed because he knew if he didn’t he’d immediately just lay back down on the bed and fall asleep again. Prompto pulled the bedcovers back, stood, and stretched his arms over his head.

“It’s gonna be weird, having fins again,” Prompto admitted, and Noctis caught sight of a slight flush on his cheeks as he switched his bedside lamp on to give them some light to get dressed. Prompto struggled a bit with putting his clothes on, but seemed to get the hang of it after trying to put his head through one of the shirt’s sleeve holes and realizing it was too small.

“Hm, I bet. You gonna be okay going back? Did you want me to swim back with you?” Noctis asked as he went over to his dresser and opened the drawer where he kept a full set of clothes. He thanked his past self for agreeing to that idea, as he must’ve known his future self would be too tired to put something together out of all the drawers if he were either too tired or in a hurry.

“I think I’ll be okay. But… can you walk with me, out there?”

“Of course! I wasn’t just gonna send you off out the door without taking you down to the water first. I wouldn’t do that to you,” said Noctis, after pulling on a clean shirt. He didn’t feel like bothering with socks so he slipped on his shorts and a pair of sandals. The morning air was likely to be cold, but that was less important to him than making sure that Prompto would get back in time. “You can keep the clothes by the way, if you’d like. So that way if you can come back, you have a change of clothes ready and don’t have to wander around naked on the beach.”

With a laugh, Prompto smiled and said, “That sounds good. Let’s go?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

The walk down to the beach was pleasant. The two took their time without taking too much to linger, watching as light began to filter in past the thick darkness of the night sky. Noctis sat on the dock’s edge and Prompto slipped into the water, shivering at the chill. After adjusting for a moment, he took the borrowed clothes off and bundled them up in his hands. “So I don’t lose them!” he said.

Prompto held on to the edge of the dock as the sky turned blue, then pink, then orange as the sun began to fully rise. His body emanated a gentle glow that grew in strength with the morning light. When the glow faded, Prompto was back to his prior self, scales and fins and wet but ruffled blond hair.

“I should probably get back,” Prompto muttered. Noctis held his hand out one last time to him, and when Prompto took it, Noctis pulled him up out of the water just enough to kiss him.

“Promise me, we’ll see each other again soon, okay? I love you, Prompto.”

His face burned as he spoke, but Noctis pushed the realization aside to continue, “I… just wanted you to know that. If, um… if it hasn’t been really clear lately.”

“I love you too, Noct,” Prompto said, grinning widely past a blush of his own. “I’ll take good care of these clothes for you, ‘kay? And I’ll see you soon! Promise!”

With that, Prompto dove beneath the water and disappeared in a blur of orange and blue. It pained him to watch Prompto leave, so Noctis just lingered on the dock for a bit to watch as the sun rose and reflected beautiful pastels against the water. It was rare that he was awake to see such a thing, so he considered it - in a way - a gift from Prompto.

Just before he stood to leave, Noctis saw the faint outline of something on the horizon growing closer. It looked like a fishing boat, at first, but Noctis realized the shape was a bit different. And it was coming closer still, as if it was heading straight for the dock. It wasn’t a boat he recognized, looking completely unfamiliar with a strange black insignia on the side, a painted octopus centered in what looked like a ring with its tentacles wrapped around it.

No one seemed to be on its deck. No one even seemed to be steering it. But it was impossible for a boat to do that… wasn’t it?

There was a bad taste in Noctis’ mouth just by looking at it, so he stood and walked back to the hotel as quickly as he could. From his room, he could see the boat make a circle path parallel to the shore and head back out to deeper waters in the same direction it came from. Maybe it was a conservationist’s boat? There were a few local groups known to send boats out at odd hours to attempt to clean the trash and plastic out of the water. Maybe that’s what it was.

That was what Noctis told himself, at least, as he double-checked that his doors were locked before sitting down on his bed, snatching his phone off of the nearby table, and opening his internet browser to search for the identity of the strange boat he’d just seen. It never hurt to be too careful, not now…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks everyone for reading! :D I've finally had some time to work on this fic. I have a few others in the works as well as some non-XV work (for FF7/CC) that I might be posting soon! I missed being able to find time to post my own projects adhfkladf


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